


Eggnogs and Fruitcake

by tweetysrcclt9



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Corporate, Alternate Universe - Muggle, Architects, Business, Business Trip, Businessman Harry, Businessmen, Childhood Friends, Childhood Sweethearts, Christmas Eve, Christmas Party, Christmas Presents, Christmas Smut, Cunnilingus, Eggnog, Engineers, Eventual Smut, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Flirting, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Friendship, Fruitcake, Hotel Sex, Hotels, Inspired by Hallmark Christmas Movies, Jealousy, Legos, Matchmaking, Oral Sex, Romance, Second Chances, Sex, Sexual Tension, Sexy Harry Potter, Sexy Times, Sharing a Bed, Smart Is The New Sexy, Vaginal Fingering
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-08
Updated: 2020-12-09
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:47:04
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,136
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27954863
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tweetysrcclt9/pseuds/tweetysrcclt9
Summary: James and Lily Potter wanted to retire so their son must take over the family business. To prove his readiness, Harry must marry to show responsibility. With the help of his conniving parents, Harry Potter will receive the best Christmas gift - the woman who once broke his heart, stuck in an island resort with him. Muggle AU.
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Harry Potter, James Potter/Lily Evans Potter
Comments: 35
Kudos: 144
Collections: Harmony Advent Collection 2020





	1. When Harry Met Hermione

** Eggnogs and Fruitcake  **

By: tweety-src-clt9 

_**CHAPTER ONE – When Harry Met Hermione** _

_24th December 1985_

Lily Marie Potter, head of marketing for the Potter Group of companies, had a contented look on her face as she glanced around the ballroom. She just couldn’t believe that after all the trials their family had faced, they were all still alive. They survived, surrounded by the few people they actually trusted. 

Looking back to what happened four years ago, she considered it a miracle that she was still here, with the two most important people in her life, her husband, James, and their little boy, Harry. 

When a waiter passed by carrying a tray filled with eggnogs and wine, she opted for the latter as she nodded her thanks. She was observing her husband, talking to his dearest friends and business partners, Sirius Black and Remus Lupin. These silly men branded themselves as the Marauders during their boarding school days at Hogwarts. After all these years, it was very heartwarming to see the three men remain the dearest of friends despite Peter Pettigrew betraying them. 

Just thinking of the traitor, she clenched her fists in anger. She almost lost her son because of that _rat_! A year before Harry was born, Charlus and Dorea Potter, her husband’s parents died in a freak accident while riding their private jet bound for Asia on some business trip. While nobody was able to confirm anything, the details were shady. And then, just before Harry turned a year old when James took over as CEO and President, they received threats from the leader of the crime mafia headed by someone aliased as Voldemort. James also discovered that some funds were being embezzled. 

Long story short, they discovered that Tom Riddle, one of the late Charlus’ trusted employees, was the leader of the Voldemort crime operations. He plotted the death of the senior Potters, with plans to end the rest of their family so he could take over the company. Luckily, with the help of the special elite task force, _the Order of the Phoenix,_ Riddle and the rest of his mafia were apprehended. Just as they were ambushed by Riddle and his gang on the Halloween of 1981, the order and the police came just in time to save their lives. 

Now here they were. Four years later. The Potter Group of Companies has been steadily recovering after the scandal brought about by Riddle. All their real estate, hotels, and retail businesses have been flourishing. 

Yes, she and James were sometimes too busy with work, but they never forgot their number one priority, little Harry James.

 _Speaking of Harry, where’s my little boy?_ She mused as her eyes glanced around. She was very protective of Harry because Riddle specifically targeted her little boy. Harry even had a scar on his cheek from Riddle’s blade during that very close encounter years ago. 

Deciding to look for her son, she walked towards her husband and their friends. 

“Darling, I’ll go look for Harry, okay? I’ll be back soon,” she smiled at her husband. 

“Should I come with – “

“No, James. I’ll be fine. You carry on talking about _business,_ ” she winked, and the men chuckled nervously. It was clear they were betting on who would win the Football Cup all over again. 

“Go find Harry, Lils, we’ll just, er, talk about the stock prices,” Sirius attempted a formal tone which made her chuckle as she walked away. 

* * *

“Beaver face! Beaver face!” A trio of little boys accompanied by two little girls spat at the curly-haired girl quietly reading in the corner of the library. 

“Hey! Give it back!” the curly-haired girl cried. She was reading in peace to avoid other children who often made fun of her but here they were, attacking her in the largest private library she had ever seen. 

“Who are you, beaver face? We’ve never seen you here before,” the leader of the group of bullies, a little boy with blonde hair, asked while throwing the book away. 

“Leave me alone!” the little girl tried to hold back her tears. 

“You don’t belong here! You’re not one of us!” a pretty little girl with blonde hair said snobbishly. 

Little Hermione Granger cried. She hated it when her parents brought her to these kinds of parties as they mingled to talk about their dental clinic business. Kids her age just didn’t like her and were usually all mean. 

“Go away, beaver face!” one of the fat boys blew her a raspberry that she couldn’t stop her tears. The mean children just laughed. 

Hermione hid her face as she cried and then she heard another voice. 

“What are you doing here?” she heard another boy’s voice. She guessed they were of the same age. _Another bully for sure,_ she sniffed.

“Ha – I mean, Young Master Harry!” one of the bullies exclaimed. 

“What are you doing here? And what have you done to her?” the boy, this Young Master Harry, demanded. 

Hermione lowered her hands so she could get a glimpse of this kid who was clearly respected or even feared, by the bullies. She expected a tall and big kid but to her surprise, Harry was just as tall as her. He had messy black hair and he was wearing round eyeglasses. 

“We didn’t do anything, Young Master Harry!” the blonde girl replied. 

Harry walked closer to them and he knelt in front of her. Hermione was prepared to be called a beaver face all over again. Clearly, this Harry was the leader of the bullies. 

“Hello, my name is Harry Potter... I’m afraid I’ve never seen you before. Are you alright?” he gave her a friendly grin. Hermione was confused. _Why is he being nice to me?_

“Um…” she warily looked around and saw the threatening glares from the other kids. 

“Why are you crying?” Harry asked. 

“I – I was just reading here. My parents are dentists and – “

“What’s your name?” 

“Hermione. Hermione Granger.”

“Hello, Hermi – Hermione, is that right?”

“Yes… I’m sorry I didn’t mean to hide out here – “

“Were they being mean to you?” Harry gestured to the other kids. 

“No… They just, they threw my – I mean, the book I was reading, and they called me – “

“Young Master! She’s lying!” this time it was the girl with black hair who scoffed. 

“Wait here, Hermione. I’ll just talk to them,” Harry stood and turned his attention to the others. 

“Pansy, Daphne, Draco, Vince, and Greg, why did you make her cry?” Harry’s voice was friendly, but the other kids gulped. Hermione observed the dynamic. Odd that Harry was smaller compared to the other boys, but they seemed to be scared of him. 

“Young Master, we were just – “ the blonde boy, Draco, tried to explain but then someone intervened. 

“What have you kids been up to?” Hermione and the rest of the kids turned to the newcomer's voice. 

“Lady Potter!” The kids except for Harry exclaimed, their faces paled. 

“Hi, mum,” Harry waved sheepishly. 

“Sweetheart, what’s going on?” Lady Potter asked her son. 

“I was playing with Neville in my room when we decided to look at maps for our game... Anyway, I went here to the library, looking for something. And then I heard voices. I found er, Hermione crying and Draco, Pansy – “

“Thank you, sweetie… Now, children, I know that you five have been very close to one another, but do you really have to be mean to other kids?” Lady Potter asked in a voice that reminded Hermione of her mum when she was being scolded about something. 

“We’re sorry, Lady Potter,” the bullies chorused. 

“I believe it’s – what’s your name again, dear?” Lady Potter turned to Hermione with a kind smile. 

Hermione blushed. She knew the Lady Potter, or at least she had read about her. She consistently saw the beautiful woman being featured in her mum’s society magazines. _No wonder these bullies call Harry Young Master,_ she thought. 

“Um, my name is Hermione, Hermione Granger, Lady Potter,” she replied. 

“Hi, Hermione… Now, children, you all apologize to Hermione over here, or, I shall be forced to tell your mums and dads about this,” Lady Potter stared at the bullies. 

“Sorry,” the children chorused. 

“It’s okay,” Hermione squeaked. 

“Now that it’s settled, why don’t you kids run along and get some cake? How’s that sound?” Lady Potter grinned. 

“Of course, Lady Potter!” Draco nodded. 

“Bye, Young Master!” the girls waved before they all scurried away from the library. 

Hermione remembered that she wasn’t supposed to be here as well. She was in so much trouble already, not to mention the book that she was reading without permission. It was probably destroyed since the bullies haphazardly threw it away. 

“I’m so sorry, Lady Potter. I shouldn’t be here. And I am so sorry about the book and – “ Hermione could feel her tears falling again. 

“Oh, sweetie! It’s alright,” Lady Potter said kindly. 

“I really didn’t mean to – “

“Come on, Hermione. You can come play with me and Neville since you’re a girl and he has a baby sister... You can be like, his big sister... That way, he’ll be a better brother when Stephanie’s older,” Harry held out his hand to her. 

Hermione glanced at Harry, checking if he was just teasing her. She noticed that his mother was looking at them with amusement. She shyly took his offered hand as he helped her up. 

Lady Potter giggled. The two kids looked at her with confusion; Harry still holding Hermione’s hand. 

“Mum?”

“Aww! You two are so adorable,” Lady Potter grinned. 

“Of course, we’re adorable, mum. We’re children,” Harry replied, confusion on his little face. Hermione had to admit that he was smart. 

“Why don’t you and your princess run along and play with Neville, sweetie? I’ll ask the cook to send over some snacks for you three. How’s that sound?”

“Sounds great, mum! Thanks!”

“Thank you, Lady – “

“Oh, please call me, Aunt Lily, dear,” Lady Potter winked. 

“Oh, er, thank you, Aunt Lily,” Hermione replied. 

“Come on, Hermione. You should meet Neville. You can be our princess when we play pirates… You see we were looking at maps and thinking about…” Hermione could only wave at Lady Potter, er, Aunt Lily, as Harry pulled her away from the library. 

When her son and his princess left, Lily could only grin. She couldn’t wait to tell James that their son just might have found his future Lady Potter. _Those two are so cute! I should talk to the Dr. Grangers so I can schedule play dates,_ with that thought in mind, she too left the library in search of Elizabeth and Richard Granger. 

* * *

“Harry! What took you so – Oh! Er, hello!” A chubby boy with sandy brown hair shyly greeted them. 

“Nev, meet our new friend, Hermione – Er, sorry, what was your family name again?” Harry grinned. 

“Er, hello, my name is Hermione Granger… Wait a minute, you really want to be friends?” 

“Of course! Right, Nev?” 

“Yep! Hi, Hermi – sorry, your name is kinda hard,” Nev said sheepishly. 

“It’s okay, Young Master Nev… Er, what’s your name?” 

Harry chuckled and she turned to him with a slight frown. “Sorry, Hermione, but Nev and I don’t call each other Young Master so, you shouldn’t as well.”

“Oh… but why do the other kids – “

“Ah, you ran into Draco and his friends then?” Nev asked and Harry nodded. 

“You should stick with us, Hermione. We’ll never make fun of you like Draco… Anyway, hello, my name is Neville Franklin Longbottom III. Harry is my second cousin. Our dads are also in business together. Right, Harry?” 

“That’s right, cousin… Oh, he’s also my godbrother, Hermione. And like I told you, he has a baby sister, Stephanie.”

“Yeah, Stephie is so young though so she’s in the manor with my mother,” Neville added. 

“So…er, what do girls like to do for fun?” Harry asked and Neville grinned to encourage her. 

“Well, I’m not like other girls… I, er, like to read and draw,” she said shyly. 

“Wicked! We love to read and draw!” Neville clapped. 

“What do you draw, Hermione?” Harry inquired, his green eyes shining with excitement.

“Er, houses and gardens, sometimes people and pets and flowers and – “

“Why don’t we all draw our own castles and then pretend to attack each other’s afterward?” Harry suggested.

Neville ran to the large oak table and handed Hermione a drawing pad. “Here’s yours, Hermione… May the best castle win,” and with that, all three children started the bond of friendship. 

* * *

“Darling! Where were you?” Elizabeth Granger asked her daughter who was holding a large drawing pad with two boys talking to her. 

“I’m so sorry, mum, but we lost track of – “

“Dr. Lizzie!” Harry grinned. 

“Hello, Harry!” 

“You know my mother?” Hermione turned to her new friends. 

“Your mum’s my new dentist… Oh! No wonder you look familiar! You look just like your mum but younger,” Harry said as he glanced at mother and daughter. 

“I see what you mean now, darling… It seems our little Harry did meet his little princess,” James Potter teased, and the adults chuckled. 

“Well, Hermione is Neville’s princess too. Not just mine,” Harry shuffled his feet. As always Neville nodded and supported his cousin. 

“Of course, son. That’s what I meant,” James winked. 

“Hermione, say goodbye to your new friends. We’re going home,” Richard Granger told his little girl who seemed to have gained the friendship of two of the richest heirs in England. 

“Oh,” Hermione sighed. She didn’t want to leave Harry and Neville yet. It was the first time kids her age wanted to be friends with her. 

“Richard, Lizzie, do you have plans for tomorrow? If not, why don’t you join us for Christmas dinner? That way, the kids can bond even more,” Lily suggested. 

“Please, Dr. Lizzie! Please, Dr. Richard!”

“Please mum! Please, dad!”

“Please! Please!”

Seeing the hopeful pouts and pleading looks on the three children, the adults' hearts melted. 

“Well, Hermione, I guess you’ll be seeing your new friends again tomorrow,” Richard smiled at his daughter. The three friends jumped up and down. 

“Dad! Dad! You have to see Hermione’s drawings. She’s really good. She can be like those people who make drawings about hotels and houses and then you sell them and then – “

“Slow down, kiddo. You’ll see Hermione, tomorrow,” James chuckled at his son’s enthusiasm. 

“What have you three been up to?” Lily was amused. Her little boy was clearly smitten with the shy curly-haired little girl. 

“We’re playing castles and pirates, Aunt Lily,” Neville answered, and Harry nodded. 

“But why is it that you three are talking about some real estate empire?” Sirius smirked. 

“You know how dad brings me to his office and shows me these drawings of buildings?” Harry asked and his godfather nodded. 

“Neville and I play that sometimes, we make drawings I mean… Hermione joined us and she’s so much better than us,” Harry grinned with pride. His new friend blushed. 

“Well, Lizzie, I think you and I should also talk about future playdate schedules for Harry and Hermione… Neville and his dad will return to their manor tomorrow morning, so it'll be just these two,” Lily smiled as she watched her son interact with the little girl. 

_It will be interesting to watch these two grow up indeed!_

* * *

_25th December 1985_

_"_ Hermione! You’re here!” Harry excitedly ran towards his new friend as soon as he saw her wild curly hair bouncing with her footsteps.

“Slow down, Sweetheart,” Lily chuckled as she followed her little boy, James was by her side.

“You know, darling, can you ever remember any other time that our son was utterly besotted by a girl?” James whispered conspiratorially.

“I believe this is the first time, darling. Harry never did like the children of our associates. He’s mostly just kept to himself and his cousin, Neville,” she whispered back. Her eyes were glistening with amusement as she saw the interaction between the two happy children. Harry was already holding Hermione’s hand and tugging her along towards the manor.

“Harry, dear, do let Hermione take a breath,” Lily chided gently.

“Lord and Lady Potter, we thank you for having us over once again,” Richard Granger greeted the Duke and Duchess of Richmond. Despite their vast wealth and status as members of the nobility, the Potters were all very kind and welcoming.

“Welcome! We’re glad to have you here, although, I’m pretty sure it’s this little one who’s even more gladdened by your presence here,” James said conspiratorially, and the adults chuckled. The children were getting rather impatient, clearly eager to start whatever games and activities they wanted to do together.

“Do call us Lily and James, not this Lord and Lady nonsense. I reckon we’ll be seeing a lot of each other in the coming years,” Lily said with a teasing glint in her emerald green eyes as she watched the two children whispering to each other.

“Oh! But, er, we’re not, er, we’re not nobility – “ Lizzie started to explain.

“Oh, I’m just teasing! If these two grow up to be more than best friends, we’ll have you know that James and I just want our Harry to be happy. His wife need not be a member of the nobility,” Lily smiled reassuringly.

“Mum, can we go? I want to show Hermione my robots. She says she likes _Legos_ too,” Harry interrupted, and Hermione smiled shyly beside him.

“Oh, alright!” Lily rolled her eyes and Harry pumped his fist in the air.

“It’s a shame Nev’s already left with Uncle Frank this morning, it would have been cool for all three of us to build the castle you drew yesterday using _Legos_ … Oh, sorry! Bye Dr. Grangers! Bye mum, bye dad!” And with that parting statement, Harry pulled Hermione to his playroom.

* * *

“Here we are, Lizzie. Harry’s playroom,” Lily opened the door to the annex of her son’s bedroom. They were looking for their children since Christmas dinner was ready. When Lily opened the door, she was worried. The kids were sprawled on the carpeted floor, surrounded by Legos and looking rather unwell.

Lizzie sat beside her sleeping daughter and Lily was by Harry’s side. Very gently, the mothers woke their children.

“Mum?” Harry muttered.

“Sweetheart, are you alright?”

“Hermione and I don’t feel so good… We feel dizzy,” Harry tried to sit up, but his head was spinning.

“What happened, Harry?” Lily asked with worry.

“We got hungry so we snuck into the kitchens. Hermione ate some weird looking cake with lots of yucky fruits. And then I had some of this sweet drink. When we got back here, we got dizzy,” Harry tried his best to explain.

“Lily, should we bring them to the hospital or something?” Lizzie was clearly worried for both children as well.

“Let me call the kitchen staff and we’ll know what to do next. Excuse me for a second,” Lily gracefully stood and went towards the intercom on the corner.

Pressing a button, she called the kitchen, “Hello, Dobby! Yes, it’s me… Ahuh! Did you by any chance notice that some of the fruitcake and eggnog went missing?”

“Oh… yes. It’s Harry and his new friend, Hermione… Yes, a curly-haired bright girl. Right! It’s alright, Dobby. No need to fret. It’s not your fault… Next Christmas, when you make eggnogs and fruitcake, just don’t add alcohol to the recipe, okay? That way, the kids can have them. Yes. It seems Harry and his friend quite enjoy them, best be safe from now on… Okay! Thank you, Dobby,” Lily hung up and returned to Lizzie.

“Liz, it seems the kids are, er, hungover,” Lily said awkwardly while trying her best to not chuckle at the silliness of the situation.

“Hungover? But – why?” Lizzie frowned.

“Hermione ate fruitcake and Harry had eggnogs.”

Lizzie chuckled. When her eyes met Lily’s, the two mothers laughed.

“Mum! Shhh! We want to sleep,” Harry muttered as he yawned.

“I’ll call the family doctor and ask him what to give the kids so they’ll feel better... Can you stay with them for a while?”

“Of course, Lily,” Lizzie nodded, still lightly chuckling at the children’s antics.

“They are like two peas in a pod, eh?” Lily grinned at the dentist before exiting the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my first ever attempt at a Muggle AU. I hope I do it justice.


	2. Jealousy, Yelling, and Matchmaking

** Eggnogs and Fruitcake **

By: tweety-src-clt9 

**_CHAPTER TWO – Jealousy, Yelling, and Matchmaking_ **

****

_9th November 2010_

Harry James Potter, the Vice President for Operations of the Potter Group’s hotel chains, glared at the interaction he’s been watching since the monthly board meeting earlier. Draco Malfoy, the son of his father’s associates, now working as one of the civil engineers under the Construction and Design Department, has been getting rather chummy, borderline _flirty_ , with his superior, one Hermione Jean Granger. 

While it’s not his business to intervene in his best friend’s love life, he hated that the git Malfoy was clearly charming Hermione to maybe gain favors. Or worse, use her to advance his standing in the Potter Group. Draco who was very much like his father, Lucius, was a cunning and ambitious man who was on the prowl for the perfect trophy wife. 

Hermione Granger, Director for Architecture and Interior Design, consistent top performer in the Potter Group, is the most ideal candidate for a trophy wife. She was brilliant, successful, graceful, classy, and well-known in high society through her involvements with charity. Since his mum liked his best friend a lot, Hermione was like an adopted daughter to his parents. So, she had always been involved by his mum when she spearheaded charity balls and whatnot. 

Bottom line, his best friend was the perfect trophy wife that a git like Malfoy was on the hunt for.

However, it was also a fact, well, er, in his opinion at least, that his best friend was way out of the git’s league. No bloke could ever deserve the _Princess of Architecture_ , Hermione’s moniker in the Potter Group. Her designs for their hotels and real estate business made the Potter Group an even more profitable conglomerate. In short, Hermione was the darling of the board of directors and major shareholders. Hence, Malfoy wanted her. 

Harry frowned as he watched Malfoy trying to make some lame joke. To his utter annoyance, Hermione chuckled. She wasn’t supposed to laugh at that git's jokes, damn it!

Suddenly, he had an idea. He pinged Colin Creevey, his executive assistant, an IM. 

_Harry Potter: Colin, please check if Ms. Granger has time for an emergency meeting in my office._

_Colin Creevey: As in, right now, sir?_

Harry sighed. In as much as he found Colin’s hopeless crush on Hermione amusing, he really didn’t have the patience for his EA’s antics now. Colin had been a Hogwarts scholar under the Marauder Foundation, the charity organization that is headed by his parents and their best friends. The foundation sent Colin and his younger brother to Hogwarts and after that, the older Creevey decided to apply as his assistant. The younger Creevey, Dennis, worked for Longbottom Industries as a mechanical engineer. Neville’s family was involved in the shipping business from building them, transportation and logistics, as well as providing the luxury cruising experience. Just like him, Neville is now holding a key position in his family’s business. Since Neville married their school mate, the nature magazine heiress, Luna Lovegood, he will be taking over as CEO and President of Longbottom Industries next year. 

_Colin Creevey: Sir?_

The sound of his new message from Colin broke his reverie. He was reminded of what’s important. He had to get Hermione away from that git, Malfoy. 

_Harry Potter: Tell Ms. Granger’s EA that I need to see her ASAP. Thank you._

_Colin Creevey: Noted, sir._

Feigning interest in the bulk of documents on his desk, he hid a smirk as he noticed Hermione and Malfoy being interrupted by Ginny Weasley, Hermione’s EA. Ginny was a close friend of Hermione’s, who was supposed to be destined for the performing arts but an ankle injury crushed her dreams of being a _prima ballerina_ three years ago. Hermione being the kind and helpful friend, asked him if she could hire Ginny. For many years, even as she climbed the ranks, Hermione never desired an assistant claiming it was an unnecessary cost. But when Ginny was distraught, she asked him if he could approve an additional headcount for her team. He reluctantly agreed because he knew that having an assistant could be helpful to Hermione. He just wished she hired someone who’s not so close to her, to avoid conflict and all that. Ginny Weasley, just like her brother, one of his dear friends, Ronald, was never known for being a diligent student at Hogwarts. He could only hope that Ginny was actually doing her job as Hermione’s EA because if she didn’t, then it could be detrimental to his best friend’s formidable reputation. 

In his peripheral vision, _oh how I love these glass walls_ , he could see Hermione excusing herself from Malfoy. She was making her way toward his office, with Ginny hot on her heels. Colin, ever efficient, immediately opened the door for both women. There was a slight blush on his face as Hermione thanked him. 

“Good afternoon, Harry. You sent for me?” Hermione greeted him. 

“Hello, Hermione… Please have a seat. Ms. Weasley, there’s no need for you to take notes. I will just be asking Hermione a few questions on the _Amanpulo_ project. You may return to your desk,” he addressed the other woman. 

“Of course, Mr. Potter... Ms. Granger, I shall be at my desk,” Ginny said respectfully before leaving his office. 

“So… what part of the _Amanpulo_ project should you wish to talk about?” Hermione asked in a very professional manner. He comfortably leaned against his chair as he let his eyes roam on his best friend. He wanted to get an insight regarding her feelings for Malfoy. He was just sitting there, quietly observing her. 

Hermione was dressed very professionally. She always wore loose trousers to work since she wanted to be prepared in case she had to visit construction sites. She wore a white silk shirt with a navy-blue coat on top. Her clothes were very simple, not meant to attract any attention to her physical beauty. She was a woman in an executive position leading a group of engineers, architects, and construction workers who were predominantly men. She was dressed like the formidable lady boss that she truly was, her long curly hair tucked in a bun with some loose tendrils framing her face. She didn’t wear much make-up unlike other women in the office. Her beautiful chocolate brown eyes were hidden underneath her rectangular glasses, with the black frame making her eyes pop. 

To the rest of the world, she looked like the _Princess of Architecture_. She was the genius behind the modern, cost-saving, and environmentally sustainable buildings of the Potter Group. 

To him, she was gorgeous, stunning, so damned sexy… 

And also, so damned unreachable. 

Sigh. 

Hermione just wasn’t interested in him. She only wanted to remain his best friend. This bloody gorgeous _Princess of Architecture_ was his first and only heartbreak. The worst part, the bloody woman was oblivious about all of it. 

_I wonder what you’re now hiding underneath those formal clothes, Hermione_ , he couldn’t help but smirk as he recalled the sweet innocent teenage Hermione writhing under him. Sure, they were slightly tipsy then, but he would never forget their one and only tryst between the sheets. It was a Halloween after-party at Hogwarts, she was seventeen, and he was sixteen. They lost their virginities to each other. When morning came, they agreed to take the time to think, and then they would talk about the status of their relationship the next day. 

He was prepared to confess his feelings and to ask her to be his girlfriend, but no! His best friend merely said, “I think we should just be friends… You’re my best friend, and I don’t want to lose you. Besides, we’re drunk. You’re Harry Potter, the future Duke of Richmond. You can have any girl you want.” 

And just like that, Harry James Potter, who had been carrying a torch for his female best friend ever since he was ten, was rejected and heartbroken. Because of that, he vowed to never allow himself to fall for another girl ever again. It worked out for him. Hermione was still his best friend and he could shag other women, with no feelings. A win-win situation. 

“Harry, what do you want to know about the project?” Hermione asked. 

“Malfoy… Is he working with you on the _Amanpulo_ project?” 

“No, he’s assigned to another project. The one in Germany.”

“I see… Then why is he always hanging around you?”

“Excuse me?!” Hermione exclaimed. Her eyebrows furrowed and there was a deep frown on her face. 

“You do remember that he was a git to you when we were kids, right? Calling you beaver face and – “

“And your point is?” he could hear the annoyance in her voice. 

“My point is, no matter how charming he seems to be now, you shouldn’t trust him,” he said firmly. His gaze holding her own. He refused to back down. Malfoy didn’t deserve her. 

“So… You think I’m a gullible, naïve, and desperate woman? Is that it?” she snarled. 

“What?! No! Of course, not! I’m just saying that since you’re his superior, you shouldn’t fraternize – “

“Fraternize? Excuse me!” Hermione’s face was flushed with anger. 

“You deserve better, Hermione. Besides, Malfoy’s only after one – “

“Oh, that’s rich! Malfoy’s only after sex. Is that what you’re saying?” she stood from her seat. Her brown eyes were glaring daggers at him. He chose to be calm as he met her gaze. 

“Well yes, but more importantly, he’s just after you because you’re the perfect trophy wife!” he countered. His tone laced with anger. 

“Trophy wife! How dare you, Harry Potter! You may be my best friend and my boss, but how dare you! As if I am some silly woman who would just fall for the charms of anyone, let alone my subordinate at that!” Hermione leaned over his desk. Her hands angrily plonked on the oak wood. 

“Well, lucky that you’re not someone silly to fall for just anyone then,” he retorted sarcastically. It may have been a long time ago, but it still hurt his ego that she didn’t even give him a bloody chance. 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” she hissed. 

“It means that no man will ever be good enough for the great _Princess of Architecture_ , the perfect student, Head Girl, and overall ice queen, Hermione Jean Granger!” he stood from his seat and leaned closer to the beautiful woman yelling in his office. 

“That’s rich! Well, I’d rather be a frigid and boring ice queen than to be some horny gigolo who collects women like – “

“What in the world is going on here?” the booming voice of James Potter broke Hermione’s rant. Harry and Hermione’s eyes were blazing fire at each other. Green met brown. They were challenging each other, neither one willing to yield. 

“Harry! Hermione! My office... Now!” James Potter’s voice was cold as ice. This broke the spell of their death glares. 

“I – I am sorry, sir,” Hermione recovered as she pulled away. 

“My office. Now,” James repeated.

With as much dignity as they could muster, Harry and Hermione followed the CEO to his office. They were in for a major scolding for breaking professionalism at the office, with everyone on the floor hearing their argument. 

* * *

Hermione’s eyes were downcast as she stared at the floor preparing for Uncle James, in this scenario, Lord Potter’s reprimand. She was prepared for the repercussions of her actions. She would gladly accept a suspension, or worse, a demotion. Looking back, now that her temper has cooled off, she realized that she should never have allowed her temper to get the better of her. 

Harry, on the other hand, had his eyes focused on his father who was clearly trying to remain calm. The first rule of business was to never let your personal affairs get in the way of your professional dealings. He and Hermione had clearly violated that. Worse, he alluded to his pain. The first time he had done so, ever since Hermione rejected him after their passionate night between the sheets. He just couldn’t help it! 

After Hogwarts, Hermione left Britain to study architecture at Harvard University while he remained in Britain to study business at Oxford. Since he was busy with school and his internships at the Potter Group, he barely had time to focus on his jealousy and heartache. He hated to admit it, but there’s no other word. He was jealous. Jealous of that git Malfoy who was cozying up to the only woman he’d ever loved. 

He heard from his mum that during her Harvard days, Hermione dated only one bloke but they broke up after six months of dating. After that, she never dated anyone else. She was just too focused on her career and the charities she was supporting. He was certain that there were blokes who fancied her but because of her intimidating profile, they chicken out. Because of this, he never felt jealous since there was no reason to be. 

He actually thought that he was over Hermione. He never thought about her romantically ever since their one-night stand debacle. But now, seeing Malfoy all over his best friend, he realized he was being an idiot. He never got over her. And he probably never would. 

Sigh. 

“Harry?” his father’s voice broke his thoughts. 

“Yes, dad?”

“According to witnesses, you summoned Hermione into your office. Care to tell me what happened?” 

“Yes, I did ask her to see me. Er, I was, you see I was concerned about something,” he tried to explain. Hermione snorted while giving him a death stare. He would have found it quite cute if he weren’t being grilled by his father. 

“Concerned about what?” his father prodded. 

“It’s a personal matter, sir,” he replied. He was losing confidence in himself the longer he tried to explain the situation. This argument they had was entirely his fault. He was unable to restrain himself from letting his jealousy over Malfoy get the best of him. Meanwhile, Hermione being Hermione, she just had to fight back. _I’m an idiot!_

“Hermione, care to explain?”

“Harry was making unseemly remarks about the possible ramifications should I start dating a subordinate, sir.”

“I see… And pray tell me, who is the subordinate in question?”

“Draco Malfoy, sir.”

“I see… Are you two – “

“No, sir. Absolutely not!” Hermione was adamant. Harry stopped himself from grinning. _Of course, Hermione would never date Malfoy. I really am a hotheaded idiot!_

“Very well… You may go, Hermione. I just hope this will not happen again. Can I count on that?” 

“Of course, sir.”

“Good. Thank you, Hermione… You and Harry can settle this issue, on your own time. You may now return to your office... I’ll just have to talk to my son.” 

Hermione stood from her armchair. “Thank you for your understanding, sir. I’ll see you later, Harry,” she was the epitome of formality as she nodded to the father and son duo before leaving the CEO’s office. 

When the door closed, Harry looked at his father. The younger Potter gulped. He knew that look. His father had this wicked gleam in his eyes. He was in bigger trouble now.

“So… Since when have you been in love with Hermione, son? Or rather, since when did you realize it?” James teased.

Harry sighed. He was in for a long talk filled with innuendo, teasing, and silly father-son advice. 

* * *

“Come in!” James Potter called out to whoever was knocking on the door. 

When Lily, his wife of twenty-nine years, entered the room, he smiled. He had big news to share. 

“Hello, darling! You seem rather happy, despite it being a long workday,” Lily said after sitting on the armchair across his desk. 

“Harry just realized he’s in love with Hermione,” James reported happily. 

Lily squealed like a fangirl. “So, he’ll ask her out? Should Lizzie and I start planning the wedding – “

“Jesus! Hold your horses, woman!” James rolled his eyes. Lily and Lizzie have been lamenting about the lack of progress between their children, or as they called them, Harmony. The two women expected their children to get together after finishing university but a long time had passed, Harry and Hermione were still just friends. 

“How long will it take for our son to finally snatch that girl up? They’re not getting any younger… Besides, the board wouldn’t allow Harry to step up as CEO if he’s unmarried. You know how investors are about single men," his wife sighed. 

“We can’t just force these things, my love,” James chuckled. 

“Maybe not... but we sure can help speed things up,” Lily grinned mischievously.

“Oh? Do tell?”

And with that, James and Lily brainstormed on how they could give their son the perfect Christmas gift this year – the chance to be with his one true love. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Amanpulo is a real place in the Philippines. It's part of the Pamelican Island in the province of Palawan.  
> It's a very beautiful and a very expensive paradise.  
> Basically, it's a hotelier's dream investment and a tourist's ideal tropical vacation.


	3. Beds and Business Trips

** Eggnogs and Fruitcake **

By: tweety-src-clt9 

_**CHAPTER THREE – Beds and Business Trips** _

_22nd December 2010_

After nearly fifteen hours of flying from London to Manila, the capital of the Philippines, Harry and Hermione found themselves bound for another flight directly to the island. Now, here they were, making their way for Pamalican Island where _Amanpulo_ was located. It was a two-hour flight and she had been squeezing his hand, holding on to him for dear life. She had always been afraid of flying, especially in a smaller aircraft. Since they were riding a private helicopter, they could easily feel the rocking of the machine as it glided with the wind. And boy was it windy. 

“We’ll be fine, Hermione. We’re almost there,” he leaned closer to her so she could hear. She looked at him, clearly confused, indicating she couldn’t hear him. So, to convey his support, he lifted their joint hands and brought it to his lips. She squeezed his hand in a gesture of thanks. 

“Mr. Potter, Ms. Granger, we are beginning descent. We’ll be in _Amanpulo_ in less than twenty minutes,” they could hear the pilot through their headphones. As the chopper slowly moved downward, Hermione got even scared. Aside from her talent for drawing, she was really good at numbers too. So, she already calculated the probability of falling to their deaths. Hermione was an overthinker like that. 

Deciding to reassure her that he was just there, he wrapped his arms around her. Meanwhile, she pressed her face against his chest. Harry sighed. 

It was nearing Christmas but his father sent them for an emergency business trip to settle some issues with their local partner. The vision for _Amanpulo_ was to create a sustainable resort paradise that would protect the natural endowments of the island. It was never in the plan to turn it into a very commercialized destination which would end up being harmful to the environment. That was what’s originally agreed upon, to create a sustainable haven. And now, their partner suddenly wanted to change the business model with the argument that it was better to lower the target market to the Class B and C segments so that they could attract more tourists. Hell, no! _Amanpulo_ was to be a luxury resort paradise that would not only be an escape for the wealthy but would also show them how to preserve and care for the natural beauty of the island as well. They wouldn’t want the place to be another _Boracay,_ another beautiful island in the Philippines that’s slowly being destroyed because of high commercialization and irresponsible tourism.

His father decided to send him there so that he would be trained in the art of negotiation, dealing with difficult partners (his father’s words), as part of his preparation for taking over the reins when his parents retired. Not that he could take over soon, given that the board of directors were adamant that they needed a married CEO, not a notorious playboy. _If only Hermione liked me, then I could marry her,_ he mused as he glanced at the bushy head pressed against his chest. 

He hugged Hermione closer to him and she returned the gesture. Despite her fear of heights, she conquered them because _Amanpulo_ was her dream project. She had always been passionate about creating sustainable and eco-friendly buildings, hence the reason why she never left Potter Group despite other companies trying to poach her. 

Finally, the flying stopped and they safely landed on a beautiful beach with pristine blue waters and fine white sand. 

“Welcome to _Amanpulo,_ Mr. Potter, Ms. Granger,” their pilot spoke once again. 

Hermione lifted her head from his chest and offered him a sheepish smile. He chuckled as he playfully poked her nose. He did that a lot when they were little, a gesture of friendship, affection, and understanding. She chuckled back, clearly remembering what this gesture meant. 

Harry realized that ever since leaving Hogwarts, they both had gotten so serious that they barely talked about anything else except business. 

_Well, what did you know? Maybe we needed this impromptu business trip, after all,_ Harry thought as he helped Hermione in removing her safety belts before escorting her out of the chopper. 

He couldn’t wait to get into his hotel room and to just bloody sleep. 

The week before was so tiresome since the final board meetings of the fiscal year took three long days. With the closing of the books, and finalizing priority action plans for 2011, he just wanted to sleep. Since it was merely two years since the 2008 Global Recession, contingency plans and strategies should always be made. 

Bottom line, he was bloody tired and he was certain Hermione was too. 

He could only hope that the man they would be meeting tomorrow, Don Alfredo Zamora, would be reasonable enough to stick to the original terms of the partnership. 

* * *

“Good afternoon, sir. Welcome to _Amanpulo_. How may I help you?” the receptionist welcomed them as they were handed complimentary fruit drinks. 

“Hi. Reservation for Potter and Granger. Here are our passports,” Harry handed their documents. 

“Thank you, Mr. Potter…” the receptionist seemed startled upon realizing who he was. Harry turned to Hermione, who despite her tiredness, was already taking some photos. Since she was an artist, she loved taking photos so she could use them as inspiration for her paintings and designs later on. 

Hermione was wearing jeans and a loose long-sleeved red shirt. Her hair was now in a very loose bun because of the wind. _God, she was so beautiful immersed in her element - nature, and the arts,_ he knew he had a wistful smile on his face as he watched her capturing the beauty of the island. 

“Mr. Potter, sir?”

“Yes?”

“I believe there’s been a mix-up,” the receptionist was ashen-faced, clearly afraid of his reaction. The Potter Group owned seventy percent of the _Amanpulo_ project, with Phase I and Phase II already completed. Phase III would start soon provided, that they could convince Don Alfredo to stick to the original plan. 

“Pardon?”

“The reservation was made for a couple, sir. Those were the instructions we received,” the reception explained. 

“Just find us a room with separate beds or better yet, separate rooms on the same floor, and we should be fine,” he explained. 

“I am sorry, Mr. Potter, but the resort is booked at full capacity. Since we were told that a couple would be coming here, we booked you at our best accommodation, the honeymoon villa.”

Harry sighed. He was too tired to get angry. It wasn’t the receptionist's fault anyway. “It’s fine. We’ll take it.”

“Thank you so much for your patience, sir.” After five minutes, Harry was handed his access cards and introduced to their butler, Roberto. 

“Hermione, our room is ready,” he said as he touched her arm. 

“Thanks, Harry. I sure hope we get a room with a good view. This place is even more beautiful than the first time I visited,” Hermione grinned. 

“We got a good room, yes. But that’s the problem. It’s only one room because there’s been a mix-up.” 

“Oh, it’s fine. We can get separate beds,” she shrugged.

“Hermione, the resort is at full capacity. The only vacancy is the honeymoon villa,” he told her. 

Hermione was quiet as she processed what he said. A minute later, she shrugged.

“As long as we have a comfy bed, I’m good. I’m so bloody tired,” she yawned. 

They followed Roberto to their private villa. Hermione was right. All they needed was a bed because they were both bloody exhausted.

* * *

As soon as they were alone in their beautiful villa, Harry started to get nervous as he saw the king-sized canopy bed. He was having erotic visions of himself and Hermione, the woman he happened to be in love with, all tangled between the sheets as they moaned in pleasure. 

He gulped when he saw Hermione unbutton the top three buttons of her shirt and then she reached behind her back. He watched, both fascinated and lustful, as she easily maneuvered the removal of her bra without taking her clothes off. After that, she untucked the button of her jeans and plonked herself on the bed. 

“See you later, Harry,” with that statement, Hermione Granger was out. 

When he heard her little snoring sounds, he shrugged. If Hermione could be nonchalant about this arrangement, then so could he. He removed his shoes, socks, and his shirt as he joined her on the bed. 

Like Hermione, he immediately drifted off to dreamland as well…

* * *

Hermione’s eyes slowly fluttered open and she noticed that it was dark. She could also hear the waves crashing with the beach nearby. When she felt that her pillow was gently rising and falling, she gasped. She was sleeping and drooling on Harry’s chest. Drooling was a bad habit of hers when she was dead tired. And after the exhausting trip they had, it was to be expected. 

“Hmmm… Hermione,” Harry murmured, his leg wrapped against hers that she could feel his erection against her hip. She tried to get away so she could go to the toilet, but his arms tightened around her. 

“Harry, I got to go pee,” she said as she pried his arms away. Since he was stronger than her, his response was to hold her tight. Since she knew he wouldn’t budge, she remembered he had a ticklish spot near his armpit. That’s his downfall when they were kids, so she tried it. 

As expected, Harry woke up with a yelp. 

“What the – “

“Sorry, Harry. I gotta pee,” she chuckled as she got out of bed. 

“You’re feeling hungry? I can get room service,” he called out sleepily. 

“Room service sounds good.”

When she returned to the bedroom, Harry already had his laptop opened and he was typing. “I ordered pizza, chicken, and an extra treat,” he winked.

“What treat?”

“Fruitcake for you and eggnog for me, just like old times.”

“Brilliant!”

“You have got to be fucking kidding me!” Harry said angrily. 

“Is something the matter?”

“I just got an email from dad. The meeting with Don Alfredo is canceled. It seems the old man came to his senses and is now determined to follow the original plans for Phase III. Dad says he got the notice from the don late since the old man’s EA got the emails mixed up,” Harry spat. 

“Hand me the hotel phone,” she held out her hand. 

“Why?”

“Just hand it to me,” she insisted. When he handed her the cordless phone, she pressed 0 and he watched as she waited for the receptionist to answer.

“Hi. Yes, that’s right. Send us a bottle, I mean two bottles of your best wine, please. Thanks. Yes, that would be great. Bye.” She handed the phone back to him. 

“My! My! Two bottles of wine. Someone is in a partying mood,” he joked as he returned the phone on the nightstand.

“After all the trouble of coming here for nothing, we might as well enjoy it. Besides, we deserve a break,” she sighed and he understood. 

“I’ll just shower and then you can take one after me,” she said to him.

When the bathroom door closed, Harry sighed. _What in the bloody world was wrong with all the mix-ups today? Are people really that careless during the holiday season?_

* * *

Thirty minutes later, Hermione exited the bathroom with a thick fluffy robe wrapped around her small frame and a towel on her hair. To Harry, she looked adorable. She actually looked way younger than her thirty-one years. 

“You’re up,” she pointed to the bath. She noticed that their orders were already available. _At least service here is quick and reliable_ , she thought. 

“Thanks,” he locked his laptop and stood from the bed. Before entering the bathroom, he said, “don’t you dare start eating without me,” his voice was laced with playful warning. 

“Tsk! I’m not the one who could eat nearly as much as Ronald Weasley,” she huffed. 

“Oi!” 

* * *

Hermione was about to put on her pants when her cellphone rang. Since her colleagues knew she was on a business trip in a different time zone, she knew this was important. So, she postponed donning on her pants and ran to her purse to grab her phone in just her underwear. She reckoned Harry would still be in the shower anyway. 

“Hermione Granger. How can I help?” she answered the phone. 

“Boss, it’s Draco. There’s an issue with the project in Germany,” came the voice on the phone. 

“What happened?”

“Some parts of the lot turned out to be owned by another party who’s unwilling to sell. Hence, we must change the design of the hotel. However, when we do that, we’ll have an issue meeting the specs required by marketing for profit maximization… I started some work on the adjusted design, I sent it via email.”

“Stay on the line, I’ll just set up my laptop.”

“Sure, boss.”

Hermione grabbed her laptop along with the HDMI cable. She quickly set up the cord to connect to the TV’s HDMI port. Pressing the on button, she waited for the laptop to boot before she logging in to her work email. Clicking on Draco’s new message, she read the email on the large TV screen. She clicked the attachment and perused the design. 

“Hmm… Stay on the line, I’ll quickly do some calculations,” she said. 

“Okay.”

* * *

The first sight that greeted Harry as he exited the bathroom was Hermione Granger busy at work. While this wasn’t an unusual scene to him, the fact that she was only clad in the sexiest piece of lacy black underwear made his jaw drop. 

When he slept with Hermione many years ago, her feminine endowments were not as pronounced and developed as the ones he saw now. Also, the teenage Hermione didn’t wear lacy thongs and slightly see-through bras that he could easily see her pink nipples. 

He licked his lips. _Big mistake, Hermione. You should never flaunt your assets if you don’t want to be seduced… I let you go once, my sweet. But now that you’re here, sleeping in the same bed as me, I will never let you go... You’re mine._

“I agree with what you’ve scraped off the old design for we have no choice. However, based on my rough estimates, if you increase Section A by three times, decrease Section B by half, and add an extra floor wherein you could build an indoor pool with a spiral metal staircase leading to a penthouse bar and night club, it can work. Since the lot is now smaller, we decrease the land space intended for the outdoor pool since we’re moving it inside. Have a Zen garden or some gazebo arrangements set up in that area instead. Rough estimate, we still have the same number of rooms available, complete facilities, hit profit max targets, and we have significantly decreased cost on land. Do those changes and send me an update of the design after Christmas… Yes, that sounds good. Thank you. Happy holidays, Malfoy,” with that, Hermione ended her call. Her eyes were once again glued to the TV screen. 

“Ahem!”

“Harry, you scared me!”

“I didn’t know that the secret to your genius is walking around the room only in your underwear,” he smirked.

Hermione yelped upon remembering her state of undress. “Turn around you bloody pervert!” she hissed as she hurriedly grabbed a shirt. 

“Nothing I haven’t seen before, darling,” he winked, and she threw a pillow at him that he easily dodged. 

“Harry Potter, I swear – “

“Geez! No need to resort to violence, woman,” he turned around to give her privacy.

“How long have you been standing there?” 

“A few minutes,” he shrugged. _What glorious few minutes it was...Your brain in action and your body on display! Hottest sight ever!_

“God! You’re such a git!” 

“In my defense, I didn’t want to disturb you from your _zone._ I learned that the hard way at Hogwarts. You get bloody mad when someone distracts you when your brain is at work, busy with some big puzzle,” he defended himself. _Point Potter._

“Good point... You can turn around now.”

“Brilliant idea you told Malfoy by the way.”

“Thanks.”

“I just have one last question.”

“Ask away.”

“Since when did you start wearing thongs and see-through – “

“I swear to God, I’ll kick you so hard on the bullocks it will make your ancestors dizzy!” she threatened menacingly. 

“Just kidding, love… Let’s eat. Some fruitcake will do you good,” he winked. She only replied by smacking his face with a pillow. He didn’t care. She could smack him all she wanted. The sight of her in that lacy thing as her brain processed ideas a mile a second was the perfect wanking material. He could easily see it now. He was the CEO of Potter Group with his sexy brilliant design master on his bed every night and by his side, every day in the board room.

Now _that_ was a future worth looking forward to. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Boracay is another island paradise in the Philippines.  
> Because of high commercialization, the island is slowly dilapidating.  
> Thankfully, due to conservation efforts, it's slowly regaining its full natural beauty all over again.


	4. Gifts, Confessions, and Kinks

** Eggnogs and Fruitcake **

By: tweety-src-clt9 

_**CHAPTER FOUR – **Gifts, Confessions, and Kinks****_

“God! This fruitcake is even better than what Dobby prepares for Christmas dinner at your manor... I could smell a hint of rum on it though. Odd,” Hermione moaned as she savored her bite of the cake. 

“Totally agree with you there, love, this eggnog is better than Dobby’s recipe too. Although, I could taste a hint of Vodka in it, not really sure,” he raised his glass of eggnog in salute. He’s halfway through his second glass. Hermione already ate more than half of her cake. They were just relaxing and enjoying the sea breeze, basking in the peace and quiet. Their late dinner of pizza and chicken was delicious. 

“Let’s do something fun,” Hermione suggested. Harry noticed her face was a bit flushed. _Must be the wine,_ he thought. 

“Alright… What do you propose?” he sipped on his wine too. He was alternately sipping on the delicious wine while helping himself to his favorite holiday drink.

“I have cards in my purse. We can play poker,” she shrugged. 

“Unless we’re playing strip poker, then it’s not that fun, love. Besides, you’re hard to beat at poker,” he smirked.

“Strip poker? Is that even a thing?” she snorted. 

“We can make it a thing,” he leered playfully. 

“Is that a pickup line?” she rolled her eyes which made him laugh. 

_Such an ice queen, indeed… I’ll have you writhing under me in the sheets though, and soon,_ he smirked. 

“Oops! I heard my phone ping. A quick halt on the no phones rule for dinner?” she said sheepishly. 

“Of course, Hermione,” he shrugged. Since she walked toward her purse, he too checked his phone. There were two new messages. 

_Neville Longbottom: Hi Harry! Heard you're with Hermione on a romantic island business trip… So, will I hear engagement details soon? You better snap her up, cousin. You know that the board will never allow you to take over if you aren’t married. Besides, you’ve never loved anyone but our dear ice princess of a best friend… Why not try again? *wink wink nudge nudge*_

Harry snorted. Ever since marrying Luna, Neville became such a hopeless romantic sap. 

He clicked on the message from Ron. 

_Ronald Weasley: Mate, heard you’re with Hermione. Why don’t you just shag Ms. High and Mighty? That should take the edge off of ya both. Sexual tension you have is crazy, or at least that’s what Amber said._

Harry rolled his eyes. _Why is it that his friends seemed to be pushing him to make a move? Am I really that bad at my game?_

When Hermione returned to the dining table, he noticed her glum face. “What’s the matter, Hermione?”

“I got a text from my mum. She says she was researching the weather in the Philippines and stuff. There’s an incoming storm. We can’t risk flying out tomorrow. She says we should stay until the 26th just to be safe,” she sighed. 

“Oh… That is rather sad, is it? We always celebrate Christmas at the manor,” he remarked. 

“Yeah…” 

Sensing her sadness, he remembered he brought one of his presents for her on this trip. “I may have something that can cheer you up,” he winked. 

“Is that so?” she challenged. 

“Just wait and see,” he grinned. He walked toward his carry-on luggage and looked for the paper bag. Grabbing it, he hid it behind his back and returned to Hermione. 

Stopping in front of her, he said, “surprise!” He handed her a _Pandora_ gift bag. Hermione grinned. Since her sixteenth birthday, he’d been giving her additional charms for her bracelet. 

“Aww! What charms did you get me this time?” she asked happily. 

“Open it!” he grinned. 

She opened the dainty bag and saw two jewelry boxes. She opened the first one and saw a tiny bejeweled jeepney charm that’s marked Philippines on the windshield. 

“Is this – “

“Yep, it’s one of those jeepneys we saw in Manila. It’s some sort of symbol here… I reckon we can try riding one, do as the locals do when we return to the city?”

“I love it! And yes, let’s do that,” she smiled. 

“You have one more…”

Hermione opened the box and she gasped as she perused the design. It was a gold crown charm, embedded with sapphires and rubies, symbolizing their birthstones. Hanging from the crown were gold letters H&H. 

“Did you have this custom made?”

“Yes, I reckon we should commemorate our successful partnership at Potter Group and our twenty-five years of friendship.”

“That’s so sweet…”

“May I?” he gestured to the bracelet on her wrist. It was their tradition that he would be the one to add the new charms he bought for her. 

“Of course,” she extended her wrist. Kneeling on the carpeted floor, he delicately unsealed the golden heart-shaped lock. “This is your second bracelet, right?” 

“Yes, you’ve given me too many charms so it can no longer fit the first bracelet you gave me. Besides, I keep my first one in my jewelry box at home. I call it Harry and Hermione's teenage years bracelet. This one is the Harry and Hermione 2.0 bracelet,” she chuckled. 

“Makes sense,” he grinned as he inserted the two new charms. Once done, he lovingly put the bracelet on her wrist. He let his fingers caress her skin as he checked out all the charms he had given her through the years.

“You’re not the only one who brought presents you know?” she whispered as their eyes met. 

“Oh?” he said huskily. 

“Yes, just let me go get it,” since she moved her wrist away, the spell was broken. 

He watched as she walked towards her purse. He knew that she felt it too, whatever spark there was between them. It gave him hope and courage.

“Happy Christmas, Harry,” she handed him a gift bag when she returned to the dining table. 

“Thank you, Hermione,” he smiled as he opened the bag. He saw a velvet box. He opened it and saw gold cufflinks. He noticed the embossed design, a stack of _Legos,_ and a date, 12/24/1985. Under the date, were the initials H&H. 

“To commemorate your love for _Legos_ and building. Also, to thank you for being my friend after all these years,” she smiled warmly. 

“Thank you, Hermione, really,” he was overwhelmed with her gift. 

“You will make a great CEO, Harry. I know you will,” she said this with so much certainty. Her faith in him had always strengthened him. 

“Well, I can’t be CEO if I don’t marry. Mum’s been pestering me about getting married so they can retire,” he snorted, and she giggled. 

“Just find a noblewoman or someone respectable, not your flavors of the month, to marry you. And _voila,_ problem solved,” she teased. 

“I know I’ll get married next year,” he said with full confidence.

“Really?”

“You really lack confidence in my romance skills,” he feigned offense and she chuckled. 

“You haven’t dated anyone, or at least there are no photos of you with a woman in the papers,” she shrugged.

“Keeping tabs on me, Ms. Granger?” he smirked. 

“You know how Aunt Lily rants about your women. She walks in my office and rants and rants about – “

“The lady doth protest too much,” he teased, and she huffed. 

Harry raised his wine glass in a gesture of a toast. Hermione followed his lead. 

“To us, twenty-five years of friendship, and many more,” he said, and she smiled. 

“To us! Cheers!” they clinked their glasses and drank their wine. 

Emerald green eyes met chocolate brown. As expected, it was Hermione who broke their staring game. She took another bite of her fruitcake. Following her lead, he too drank more of his eggnog. 

Suddenly, he had an idea. 

“Hermione?”

“Hmm?”

“Dance with me.”

“What? Here?” 

“Yes… There’s plenty of room. Besides, it’s better than your poker idea,” he teased. 

“Fine,” she pouted. 

Harry looked for the song he wanted to dance to on his phone. After that, he connected to the entertainment system via Bluetooth. He stood from his seat and extended a hand for her to take.

“May I have this dance, Ms. Granger?” he said cheekily.

“Don’t get cocky, Potter. I seem to recall being your dance partner for your cotillion training back in the day. My toes suffered quite a beating, you know?” she smirked as she accepted his hand. He helped her to stand and led her to the large space in front of the couch. 

Harry pressed play on his phone before throwing it on the couch.

His right hand held on to her waist, his left holding her hand. Hermione’s other hand was on his shoulder, just like their practiced cotillion dances many years ago. 

_It's undeniable that we should be together_

_It's unbelievable, how I used to say that I'd fall never_

_The basis is need to know_

_If you don't know just how I feel_

_Then let me show you now that_ _I'm for real_

_If all the things in time, time will reveal_

_Yeah_

He pulled her closer to his body as they slowly swayed to the music. His eyes never leaving her face. 

“Interesting song choice,” she remarked. 

“I seem to recall you like this bloke’s music,” he shrugged. He could feel her nod. 

“You always did remember the little details,” she muttered.

_One, you're like a dream come true_

_Two just wanna be with you_

_Three, girl it's plain to see_

_That you're the only one for me and_

_Four, repeat steps one, two, three_

_Five, make you fall in love with me_

_If ever I believe my work is done_

_Then I'll start back at one_

He guided her other hand to wrap around his neck. His hands now on both sides of her waist. He was even closer to her now that he was sure she could hear his heart beating. 

“I never stopped loving you, ya know? Even if you rejected me many years ago,” he whispered against her ear. 

“Harry, I – “

“Just one chance, Hermione… Please,” this was it. It’s up to her now. 

She was quiet as he stared into her beautiful eyes. He could easily imagine how her brain was processing all that he said and all that has happened. 

He leaned closer to her face so he could kiss her, but he stopped, “if you’ll stop me, you better do it – “

It was Hermione who pressed their lips together. It started out innocent, sweet, and uncertain. When his tongue teased her lower lip and she opened for him, the temperature in the room spiked. 

As their tongues met, he pressed her even closer so she could feel his body’s reaction to her. When she moaned against his tongue, he led her toward the couch. 

When he awkwardly stumbled on the couch, with Hermione on top of him, he easily regained balance so she could properly straddle him. As they kissed and kissed, Hermione started grinding against his crotch while his hands were busy with the buttons on her blouse. 

Harry was nibbling on her neck when she moaned, “God, Harry! Yes!” 

He stopped. He needed to be certain she wanted him as much as he did her. He couldn’t bear to go through the same “let’s just be friends” line she pulled on him before. 

“Why did you stop?” she said huskily as she ground against his crotch for more friction. 

“I can’t bear it if you’d reject me again in the morning,” he admitted. 

“Harry – I, I didn’t mean to hurt you,” her eyes softened with guilt and concern. 

“But why did you do it?”

“I saw you kissing Parkinson. Before that, I was supposed to say I wanted to be with you… But when I saw that – “

“You thought I was just playing you? God, Hermione! Bloody Parkinson cornered me, I was too shocked to pull away. When I pried her off, she only smirked. If you only asked me about it then we could have - ” 

I'm sorry, Harry."

"You really thought I was just playing you?" he asked with exasperation. 

“Well, yes,” she said shyly. 

“And now?” 

“I’m not afraid anymore.”

“And?”

“And what?”

“If we do this, you won’t use that friendship line on me again?” he was serious. 

“I want you, Harry,” she whispered. 

“Just for tonight?” he needed to be sure. 

“For always.”

“Good answer,” he grinned. Since he just remained sitting there, as if memorizing every detail of her face, she ground her hips again. 

“Now fuck me, you silly bloke!” she said bossily. 

“How crass!” he teased.

“Harry, I swear – “

“Let’s make love first, we can fuck for round two,” he wiggled his eyebrows playfully and she rolled her eyes. 

He patted her thigh, “get off me woman so I can lead you to that big bed over there,” he winked. She huffed as she removed herself from his lap. She was about to make some remark about him carrying her to bed when she yelped in surprise. 

The bloody caveman tackled her and carried her like a sack of potatoes against his shoulder. 

“Harry Potter! I’m gonna kill you!” she screamed in surprise when he felt his hand slap her arse. She hated being in the air and upside down at that. _Honestly! He could have carried me bridal style!_

“I change my mind. We can fuck on the bed first, and then I’ll make love to you afterward," he said as he ran towards the bedroom.

* * *

Despite carrying her like a sack of potatoes, Harry had the decency to gently put her down on the mattress. She was about to berate him when he leaned in to kiss her once again. She forgot her complaints since the bloke could seriously kiss! She was enjoying his tongue on hers, the taste of wine and eggnog on his lips, when suddenly, she heard a ripping sound. 

“Harry! You ripped my top!” she exclaimed. 

The prat just smirked. “It was your idea to fuck first,” he shrugged before lowering his lips to her bra-clad breasts. Since the fabric was lace, and it was bloody expensive, she reached behind her back so she could unclasp it. The brassiere easily fell off since Harry was already sucking on her breast like it was his last meal on earth. 

“Eager, are we?” she could feel him smirking against her hardened nipple. 

“Bloody thing is expensive, don’t want you to rip – fuck! Do it again!” she moaned as his teeth grazed on her nipple. She could feel herself nearing orgasm as Harry pleasured her breasts through a combination of his hands and mouth. He was sucking, nibbling, biting, licking, squeezing, pinching, and basically worshipping her breasts. She read about breast play bringing some women to orgasm, or at least that’s what it said in _Cosmo_ magazine, but she never believed it to be possible. With Harry’s masterful seduction though, she was quickly becoming a firm believer of breast play orgasm. 

“Why did you – “ her protest halted when she noticed that the sexy bloke was already trying to roughly pull her jeans off her. She was so high strung from breast play that she didn’t notice he already unbuttoned and unzipped her jeans. 

She lifted her bum so he could easily take her jeans off. Now as she was only wearing her lace thong in front of him, she felt a bit shy. Harry was still fully clothed after all. 

Before she could start to overthink, she looked down and saw Harry licking her belly button. His smoldering eyes oozing with sinful carnal pleasure. 

“God, Harry!” she moaned as her hand gripped his messy hair. She could only close her eyes and feel every pleasurable tingling sensation he was giving her. 

“Eyes on me, love. You’d want to see this,” he huskily whispered against her skin. She followed his sensual command and opened her eyes. She bit her bottom lip as she watched Harry’s hands slowly pull her knickers down her legs. When he successfully removed it from her body, he carelessly threw it away. 

She started to blush. She felt so exposed now. She yelped when she felt him pull her lower on the mattress. 

“Harry, what – Oh, god! Yes!” she could only moan and tighten her grip on his hair as his tongue licked her clit. 

Realizing that it must be painful, her tugging on his hair like that, she opened her eyes. Harry’s emerald green eyes were darkened with lust as he was watching her every reaction while his lips and tongue fucked her.

Hermione could only whisper his name over and over again as she watched him, watching her, while he continued to eat her pussy. She was already writhing in pleasure, nearing orgasm, when he roughly inserted two fingers inside of her. His tongue was busy licking her clit, while his fingers pounded in and out of her soaking pussy. 

“Yes! Harry! Yes!” she screamed as she saw stars. The last time she had sex was ages ago, she was still in Harvard then. Masturbating with her dildo and vibrator never felt this good. 

“Cum for me, baby… Let go,” he whispered before his tongue plunged inside her pussy again. His hands wrapped her legs around his shoulders as he ate her out. 

Hermione came hard. She was already having the best orgasm of her life and they were just getting started. 

Harry Potter would be the death of her! But what a way to go…

* * *

Harry Potter felt like a god as he lapped at Hermione’s dripping cunt. She was still shaking from her orgasms as he continued to lick on her juices. He smirked. He never ate his fuck buddies’ pussy. They knew what they were getting into with him. He was in it for the sex, they received lavish gifts in return. There were two categories of women for him, one – his fuck buddies. He didn’t date them, he shagged them. Two – the women he brings as dates for balls and formal events, he never shagged them, he just escorted them around since it was expected of him. 

And then there was Hermione. 

Hermione Granger. The girl who was his best friend. The only woman he has ever loved. This beautiful, exasperating, and sarcastic woman was unlike any other. 

He would do anything for Hermione. She didn’t belong to any of the two categories. She was his best friend in the entire world. She was the only woman who saw him as just Harry, and not the heir to the Duke of Richmond. She was perfect, well, perfect for him at least. 

“Oh my…” she whispered after regaining her faculties. 

“How’s that for fucking?” he smirked from his position on the floor. She blushed. _God how he loved this woman!_

“No wonder women fall on their feet for you!” she whispered. He winked. 

He joined her on the bed and then leaned in to peck her on the lips. “Just so you know, I never do that for other women. I only do that for you… First time when we slept together at Hogwarts… And the second time was minutes ago,” he smirked. 

“But – but, how? You clearly _excel_ at it,” she whispered. 

“Why, thank you, Ms. Granger. Happy to serve,” he said cheekily. She lightly slapped his chest and he chuckled. 

“Seriously! The women you’re dating were idiots. They don’t know what they're missing,” she blushed. 

“I aim to please,” he shrugged. 

“You’re just kidding, right?”

“Hmmm?”

“About you know, just doing _that_ for me?” she asked, and he shook his head no. 

“But – why?”

“When will it ever get into that thick skull of yours that I love you, you exasperating woman?” he dramatically sighed. 

“Oh…”

“So… You ready for more fucking?” he leered. 

“I’m already on my back so,” she shrugged. She was still panting hard.

“You might want to grab hold of the headboard,” he pointed to the elaborate metal workings before working on lowering his pants. 

Since the bloke made her orgasm twice, she obeyed his command. She grabbed hold of the metal works on the headboard and watched as he merely lowered his pants and his boxers. 

“You’re not taking – “

“I’ll do it on the next round when we make love,” he winked. 

“Just how many rounds are we talking about here?” she eyed him warily. 

“As much as you can take,” he smirked. 

“Good lord! What have I unleashed!” she muttered and the prat chuckled. 

Harry parted her legs as he positioned himself. 

He kissed her on the lips as he entered her in one deep thrust, making her moan in pleasure.

“I love you, Hermione,” he whispered against her neck as he roughly pounded her on the mattress. 

Hermione could only hold on tight to the headboard, but she managed to moan out, “I love you too, Harry…”

Those words seemed to trigger Harry to increase his deep thrusting that she could only whimper in pleasure. “You’re mine, Hermione! Say it!” he growled. 

“Yes! Yours! Just yours!” she screamed. She could feel herself nearing orgasm once again. 

Sucking on her breasts and rubbing her clit, as he continued fucking her, Hermione screamed his name as she orgasmed for the third time that night. Harry followed her shortly, emptying himself deep inside her…

Hermione couldn’t remember how many times she orgasmed that night since Harry Potter was such an insatiable and vigorous lover...

* * *

Hermione groaned as she heard the alarm on her phone. She forgot to cancel the alarms since the meeting with Don Alfredo was canceled. Since she felt sore all over, she blushed. Harry Potter made her his all throughout the night. She was about to pull away so she could pee when she felt strong arms wrap around her waist. 

“You’re not escaping me, are you?” he whispered against her neck. Since they were spooning, she could feel his erection pressed against her bum. 

“I just need to pee,” she muttered. 

“Want to shower together?” he playfully bit her earlobe. 

“If you can keep your hands to yourself, then sure. But if you intend to pound me again, then no… Honestly! I can’t feel my legs,” she blushed, and he chuckled. 

“Sorry, love.”

“No, you’re not.”

“Yeah…” he laughed. 

“Honestly! Don’t you get tired?” she huffed as she turned to face him. 

“You owe me fourteen years’ worth of shagging, Ms. Granger,” he smirked. 

“Horny prat,” she muttered. 

“You’re so mean to me,” he pouted. 

“Seriously, I really need to pee.” He chuckled as he let her go. 

She didn’t bother to wear clothes as she got out of bed. He’d already seen all of her anyway. 

* * *

When they returned to London on the 27th of December, Harry and Hermione were shocked to discover that their business trip was just a hoax. It was just some scheme concocted by Lily, the marauders, and agreed to by the Grangers. Of course, Harry and Hermione huffed at their parents’ schemes, but they thanked them all the same. 

When Lily started talking about wedding plans with Lizzie, Hermione snorted, and Harry chuckled. His mother truly was something. They didn’t take it seriously though, whatever plans their mothers had set-up. They insisted to their eager mothers that he needed to properly propose first. Harry completely supported Hermione on this. 

Two months after their trip, Hermione started feeling ill. When Harry accompanied his girlfriend to the doctor, they were in for a surprise. She was pregnant and they were having twins.

Long story short, their parents were ecstatic. They had a small wedding, a month later. They agreed to have a large wedding once the twins were born.

A year after the twins were born, Harry Potter took over as CEO and President of the Potter Group of Companies. He was a doting father and a devoted CEO. 

Hermione made her husband swear to only drink eggnogs from Dobby, and she, in turn, would only eat fruitcakes from their family chef. She reckoned that it was better to be safe than sorry. When they were horny and under the influence of alcohol, Harry had this tendency to forget putting on condoms. Hermione Potter believed they weren’t ready for more children yet. If the twins got a bit older, then she would give in to her horny husband’s pouty face when he begged for more children. 

**THE END**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Check out the song, Back at One by Brian McKnight.  
> Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this story.  
> This is my first muggle AU ever. Did I do a good job? Yes? No? Let me know your thoughts. 
> 
> P.S. Maligayang Pasko at Manigong Bagong Taon!  
> (Filipino to English Translation) Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year!


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